Students deserve to attend public schools free from fear of police brutality. Educators best ensure students’ safety not through police and surveillance but by building trusting relationships, engaging academic curriculum and providing resources that support the totality of students’ humanity by addressing their physical, mental and economic needs.
IDRA offers the resources below to assist school districts that choose to invest in strategies that create safe and supportive schools for all students and move away from school policing and other harmful approaches.
Materials Package to Support School Boards and District Administrations to End Contracts with Police Departments and/or Law Enforcement Personnel
Resolution template to end district contract(s) with police and law enforcement (either external entities or internal departments), divest from harmful security strategies and invest in the people and approaches that create safe schools.
- See letter to the Austin ISD leadership cosigned by the Austin Justice Coalition, IDRA and Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, June 18, 2020
- See related news story, Groups Call for Austin ISD to Shift Money from Policing In Schools To Building Community, by Sangita Menon, KUT, June 22, 2020
- Austin school board OKs $1.65 billion budget amid calls to divert district police funds, Melissa B. Taboada, Stephenville Empire-Tribune, June 23, 2020
Explanatory letter to school district leaders on the importance of school districts ending current contracts and refusing to establish future contracts with police and law enforcement.
Information on training and workshops to support equity efforts in districts through model district policies, community engagement and educational practices
- Restorative Practices Campus Team Training and Coaching
- Implicit Bias
- Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogy
- Mexican American Studies and African American Studies Professional Development
IDRA Articles and Statements RE: Policing in Schools and School Safety
A Policy Agenda to Support Black Students, IDRA, February 2024
Joint Letter to Pasco County Superintendent of Schools, Re: Data-Sharing Agreement and School Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding Between the Pasco County School Board and Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, May 4, 2021
Understanding and Addressing Racial Trauma and Supporting Black Students in Schools, February 2021
Policy Recommendations to Improve Schools for Black Students, February 2021
Minneapolis School Board Unanimously Votes to Terminate Contract with Police Department, June 3, 2020
Minneapolis School Board Resolution Would End Contract with Police Department – IDRA Statement, June 1, 2020
Four Texas organizations — Texas Appleseed, IDRA, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition & Texans Care for Children — sent a letter to Gov. Abbott urging him to address the needs of incarcerated and detained youth during the coronavirus pandemic, March 19, 2020
Testimony on Texas Senate Bill 11 Interim Monitoring and Implementation Regarding Threat Assessments, School Safety and Discipline, Testimony of IDRA Presented on March 18, 2020
At What Cost? A Review of School Police Funding and Accountability Across the U.S. South, by Terrence Wilson, J.D., IDRA Newsletter, February 2020
Discipline Strategies to Combat Faulty Assumptions that Target Black Male Youth, by Daryl V. Williams, Ed.D., IDRA Newsletter, October 2019
Supporting Students in the Wake of Violence – Livestream event video recording. School leaders from four communities affected by recent mass shootings and ICE raids to speak, Sept 18, 2019
School Safety Measures Shouldn’t Harm Students. IDRA submitted the following letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs prior to the committee’s hearing, “Examining State and Federal Recommendations for Enhancing School Safety Against Targeted Violence” held on July 25, 2019.
Use Effective Discipline, Not Zero Tolerance – IDRA Testimony Against SB2432. Testimony of IDRA presented for the House Education Committee against SB 2432 allowing mandatory removal of a public school student from the classroom following certain conduct. Morgan Craven, J.D., National Director of Policy, April 30, 2019
Clearly Define the Role of Law Enforcement in Schools IDRA Testimony on SB1707 – Officers Should Not Be Called on to Handle School Disciplinary Matters. Testimony of IDRA presented for the Senate Education Committee on SB1707 relating to the duties of school district peace officers, school resource officers and security personnel, Morgan Craven, J.D., National Director of Policy, March 26, 2019
Legislative Solutions for Safe Schools Must Include School-Based Strategies that Help Educators and Support Students, February 20, 2019
Partnerships, Not Push Outs – Collaboration is Critical to Dealing with Disparities, by Paula Johnson, M.A., IDRA Newsletter, October 2017
School Policies and Practices Impact High School Attrition Rates in Bexar County. Web Story Released December 23, 2016, with the IDRA Attrition Study, August 2, 2017
Zero Tolerance Policies in Texas Push Black Students and Hispanic Students Away from School – Web Story Released December 2016 with the IDRA Attrition Study, December 1, 2016
Ensuring Equity and Nondiscrimination in Student Discipline Policy and Practice, David Hinojosa, J.D., IDRA Newsletter, February 2016
